


Waking Nightmare

by MeridianPurified



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23528017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeridianPurified/pseuds/MeridianPurified
Summary: Vaermina learns of Erandur's intentions to destroy the Skull of Corruption when he returns to Dawnstar and sends her champion to deceive and kill him before he can succeed, and claim the Skull for herself.
Kudos: 4





	Waking Nightmare

The constant tortured screaming of mortal souls that accompanied every flash of lightning in the Quagmire didn't bother Jaywren anymore. At least not as much as they used to. Centuries of living in Vaermina's realm had numbed her to that sort of thing.

She made her way through the unrelenting purple haze that clouded Vaermina's Dreamstride at all times to heed her mistress' call. In a ruined castle straight out of a nightmare that sat overlooking the rest of the realm, Vaermina awaited her champion's arrival.

Sure, Vaermina had had many champions over the years, and all had served her faithfully, but none quite so much as Jaywren.

Vaermina prized the Redguard above all others, a champion born into nobility, who had been on the Emperor of Tamriel's court and was regarded as a hero to everyone for saving him was her worshipper, her champion and had even established a temple in her name in Skyrim. How could Vaermina not adore Jaywren?

Vaermina lounged on a crumbling throne as she waited for Jaywren, a snake coiling around the battered stone and up around her arm, hissing. Vaermina rested her head in her palm and before long, Jaywren opened the rotten wood doors to the throne room.

"You called me, my lady?" Jaywren asked as she approached the throne. Last time she had spoken to Vaermina it had been deep within a dark forest where noises and lights played on the mind and reeked of death, the time before that, long abandoned catacombs where the only light were torches that cast flickering shadows that would have driven any mortal trapped there insane with horrors of their own mind's creation. Vaermina was a prince of the macabre as much as she was nightmares.

"Why yes, my little nightmare." Despite the Prince's mask, Jaywren could tell Vaermina was smiling at her. "I have a very important task for you. I have to send you back to Mundus."

Jaywren raised an eyebrow. "What for?" She asked. Such drastic action, why would her lady do such a thing?

"You remember Nightcaller Temple, don't you?" Vaermina asked. Her voice sung like a lullaby that would lead someone to a sleep they would never wake up from.

"The temple in Skyrim I founded in your name, of course." Jaywren nodded. "What about it..?"

"What do you know of it since you left the mortal plane?" Vaermina asked.

"Only what you've told me." Jaywren replied. "The Orcs attacked, the priests there released the Miasma, and they've been asleep since."

"My Skull of Corruption has sat abandoned for many years now. It grows hungry there, all alone. It has begun to reach out and sap the memories of the residents of the nearby Dawnstar." Vaermina explained. "But there was a slight... Oversight."

"Oversight?" Jaywren echoed.

"A single one of my priests escaped the Temple before my embrace took him. Now he has returned, a priest to me no longer, now a priest of Mara. He seeks to return to Nightcaller Temple and destroy my gift to the mortal realm." Vaermina continued. 

"A traitor." Jaywren narrowed her eyes. "You want me to kill him, then?" 

Vaermina raised her hand. "Now, now, Jaywren. Do not be so hasty." She purred. "He was a fool to return to Dawnstar, to my embrace, and a greater fool to make his intentions too readily known. My Skull has overheard him, seen his memories, knows his intentions." She stood up, her snake uncoiling from her arm and retreating into the surrounding darkness.

Vaermina approached Jaywren and gently took the Redguard's chin in her grasp. "Jaywren, I want you to go to Dawnstar and deceive this fool priest into thinking you want to help him, and then when the moment is right, I want you kill him, and claim the Skull for yourself." She purred.

Jaywren looked up at her lady. "It will be done, my lady. I won't fail you. Tell me who this priest is and I will give you his soul."

"I know you won't." Vaermina stroked her cheek adoringly. "His name is Casimir, a Dunmer, although now he answers to Erandur. Go now, my little nightmare, claim the Skull of Corruption for yourself once again, and send this traitor's soul to me."

Some things never change, like the panic after waking up from a nightmare, the longing after waking up from a pleasant dream that you wish had lasted just that little bit longer, oh, and the biting cold of Skyrim.

Jaywren didn't miss the chill, the blizzards, the frostbitten wind, the deep snow that slowed travelling down to a trudge, she didn't miss Skyrim.

She made her way into Dawnstar, the city had surprisingly not changed that much since she was last there. Still only a small settlement, the only thing of note was the Jarl's longhouse and the docks. Now, where would a priest of Mara be..?

The first building she came across was an inn, and she reasoned that a priest of Mara could be inside there. After all, there wasn't a temple in Dawnstar, aside from the one to Vaermina of course.

She flicked her hand telekinetically cast aside the accumulated snow at the door before her pushing the door open and entering.

Immediately the warmth hit her and she sighed in relief. The next thing that hit her was the sound of talk about nightmares.

"It's a curse! It has to be! I've got to get out of this town." A miner protested desperately to two others. 

"Irgnir, get a hold of yourself. They're just dreams. Please tell her, Erandur." Another Nord miner spoke to a Dunmer. He was aged and gray, and not just his skin, from what Jaywren could see of his hair he was certainly old. 

Whatever Erandur had responded with Jaywren didn't hear it. This was him, the Dunmer Casimir who now went by Erandur, who sought to destroy Vaermina's Skull of Corruption.

"Yeah right... We'll see about that." Jaywren muttered aloud before walking over to the group.

Erandur looked at her as she approached. "What troubles you my daughter?" He asked, offering her a smile that Jaywren didn't take.

"What's wrong with everyone around here?" Jaywren asked as if she was none the wiser.

"The entire town is being plagued by horrible nightmares. They're in serious danger, but I'm afraid there's little I can do about it." Erandur answered solemnly.

Oh? Maybe Jaywren could resolve this without having to kill an old man... "Then leave." She replied. "This isn't your problem." 

"Turn my back on these people when their lives could be at stake? I should say not." Erandur scoffed, and Jaywren seemed to visibly deject. "Those dreams are not just visions, they're a footprint left by the Daedric Lord Vaermina as she drains these people of their memories!" Erandur continued.

"So what do you plan on doing about that?" Jaywren asked.

"I need to return to the source of the problem, to Nightcaller Temple." Erandur answered. "Perhaps you'd be willing to assist me in that regard?" He asked.

Jaywren could tell this was only going to end one way now. "Alright, let's go." She replied.

Her answer seemed to stun Erandur. "Right now?" He asked before shaking his doubts away. "Wonderful, Lady Mara will be quite pleased." He smiled

"I'm sure she will be." Jaywren nodded, already making for the door, Erandur hurriedly followed in her tracks.

"So where is this Nightcaller Temple?" Jaywren asked as they left the inn.

"Just a short walk up this hill to the tower overlooking the city." Erandur answered.

Jaywren hated playing stupid. She knew full well where the temple was. She had founded it. To have her work explained to her by this traitor, ugh.

Jaywren looked up the hill to the Tower of Dawn. "That it?" She asked.

Erandur nodded. "The locals call it the Tower of Dawn, but housed inside is Nightcaller Temple. A temple dedicated to Vaermina worship."

Jaywren led the way to the tower, even if it was abandoned and under the effects of the Miasma she ached to see it again. Her life's work, her home, ah how she missed it.

As she neared the temple she could see a few animals roaming around the entrance. Large white felines were patrolling like they called it home. As Jaywren neared they turned to fix their gaze on her and Jaywren narrowed her eyes. A fight so soon?

"Three sabre cats on the side of a steep hill. This is almost too easy…" She murmured.

The first sabre cat pounced at her, snarling viciously. Jaywren grabbed it a telekinetic grasp, suspending it in mid air before tossing it aside down the hillside. The other two sabre cats quickly met with a similar fate, and by the time Erandur made it to the tower Jaywren was sitting outside the door waiting.

"There you are. I was worried you had frozen to death back there." Jaywren said as he approached. Honestly that would have done her a favour…

"Before we enter, I must warn you about the dangers that could be lurking within." Erandur told her. "Years ago, this temple was raided by an orc war party seeking revenge... they were being plagued by nightmares just like the people of Dawnstar."

"Were they successful?" Jaywren asked, like she didn't already know.

"No. Knowing they could never defeat the orcs, the priests of Vaermina released what they call "The Miasma," putting everyone to sleep." Erandur answered.

"Sweet dreams. Let's get in there, then." Jaywren stood up.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Erandur stopped her. "I'm concerned that when this place is unsealed, the Miasma will dissipate and they'll awaken; both orcs and priests alike."

"We'll find out then, won't we." Jaywren pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Immediately her heart sank. The entrance to the temple was ruined and destroyed, overgrown with moss, stonework scattered everywhere. She swallowed hard. Was this what her life's work had been reduced to?

"As you can see, the temple is little more than a ruin inside a ruin now." Erandur walked in behind her.

Jaywren nodded stiffly. "Yeah." 

Erandur walked over to the back wall of the room. "Give me a moment and I'll have this open."

Erandur started blasting fire destruction magic at a visage of Vaermina and it gave Jaywren some time to properly adjust to seeing the temple she had founded in this state. It would probably only get worse as they went in. She raised her thumb to her mouth and chewed on the thick leather of her gauntlet thumb tip

"There we go."

Erandur's words roused Jaywren from her thoughts. When she looked up the visage of Vaermina was a translucent purple and she could see the temple proper behind it. Good to know that line of security still worked, at least.

"This way please." Erandur walked through the barrier and Jaywren followed suit.

Erandur led the way to a large grid of iron bars. "Now I can show you the source of the nightmares. Over here. Behold the Skull of Corruption, the source of Dawnstar's woes."

Jaywren walked over to the bars and peeked through. Sure enough, below her was the Skull of Corruption. So tantalisingly close… She put her hands on the bars and wished she could just reach through and grab it…

The sound of Erandur clearing his throat roused Jaywren from her thoughts. "You won't get to the Skull by reaching through those bars." He told her. "Come, in order to reach the Skull we must go deeper into the temple."

Jaywren reluctantly stepped back from the bars and followed him further down. In their path lay two sleeping Orcs that were roused from their slumber as the two approached.

Jaywren immediately grabbed them both in a telekinetic grasp, easily snapping one Orc's neck and tossing the other against the wall with lethal force.

Erandur side-eyed her. "Such brutality isn't necessary."

Jaywren rolled her eyes in response and stepped over the fresh corpses to inspect a magical barrier, powered by a soul gem on the other side. "Hmm… Looks difficult to breach…"

"Impossible actually." Erandur replied. "Hmm, I wonder... There may be a way to bypass the barrier, but I must check their library and confirm it can be done."

"How would you know there's a library here?" Jaywren asked, once again forcing herself to play stupid.

"I suppose there's no point in concealing the truth any longer." Erandur replied solemnly. "My knowledge of this temple comes from personal experience. I was a priest of Vaermina."

Jaywren hid a smirk. "Thought so."

Her response seemed to stun Erandur. "You're not… Surprised?"

"It only makes sense." She shrugged, stepping past him. "The only way you'd know so much is from first hand experience. Now let's go find that library."

"It's just up here, not far." Erandur took the lead and opened a door that led to a corridor that then led to the library. "Be careful, we're certain to find more of the awakened within." Erandur told her.

Sure enough the first thing they laid eyes on was a sleeping Orc and Vaermina worshipper. Jaywren bit her thumb tip again. Damnit, she had hoped she wouldn't have to kill any Vaermina worshippers… 

It seemed Erandur didn't have such reservations, bringing his mace down upon Orc and priests alike, while Jaywren tried to hide the fact she wasn't fighting the Vaermina worshippers.

After the last of the awakened had been dealt with Erandur turned to her. Barring any more interruptions, perhaps we can locate the information I need."

"And that is?" Jaywren asked. The Dreamstride, obviously. She said internally.

"We're looking for a book of alchemical recipes called "The Dreamstride." The tome bears the likeness of Vaermina on the cover. It should be here somewhere." Erandur answered.

"Right." Jaywren nodded and headed upstairs to the second floor of the library and started searching. "Vaermina give me strength." She muttered to herself.

"This way, my nightmare." Vaermina's haunting voice called from the other side of the room. Jaywren turned and in the far corner she saw a seemingly untouched blue book upon a pedestal.

Jaywren gave Vaermina thanks and walked over to the book. Sure enough it was The Dreamstride.

She hopped down from the balcony to the lower level of the library and walked over to Erandur. "This it?" She asked, holding up the book.

"Let me take a look." Erandue took the book from her and began to flip through the pages. "Mara be praised!" He exclaimed after stopping on a particular page. "There is a way past the barrier to the inner sanctum. It involves a recipe for a liquid known as Vaermina's Torpor."

"A potion, huh?" Jaywren asked, putting a hand on her hip. "I don't suppose there's a sample here?"

"I believe there is a laboratory in the east wing." Erandur replied. "If we proceed there, we should be able to locate a sample, or at least the ingredients to make one. "Come, the laboratory adjoins the library."

Another dilapidated corridor led into another dilapidated room and Jaywren's lip curled. She clenched her fist and seriously considered killing Erandur then and there for betraying Vaermina and leaving her temple to ruins like this. But not yet, she still needed him to get to the skull.

As they entered the laboratory more Orcs and priests awakened and Jaywren sighed heavily. Picking the closest Orc up telekinetically and throwing him against the far wall, where he fell to the floor motionless. The priest that had awoken next to him got a similar treatment, getting tossed over a balcony and landing with a crunch below.

Below her on the lower level Erandur took care of a few more awakened priests, mace in one hand and flame spell in the other. Jaywren descended the stairs once they were taken care of and began scanning the shelves for the torpor.

"The Torpor should be in a tall bottle with dark liquid-" Erandur started.

"Found it." Jaywren cut him off, picking up a bottle from one of the shelves.

"Oh. Well done, I wasn't certain you knew what to look for." Erandur said as Jaywren walked over to him.

"Well, down the hatch." Jaywren uncorked the bottle and spat it out.

"Wait my daughter! Are you not at all worried?" Erandur asked.

"Nope." Jaywren replied, putting the bottle to her lips and dumping it back, drinking the contents of the bottle while a stunned Erandur stared at her.

"Huh." Jaywren said as she finished, looking down at the bottle. "I don't think it w-"

Jaywren opened her eyes. "You hate to see it…" She mumbled.

"The orcs have breached the inner sanctum, Brother Veren." A Nord man said, snapping Jaywren to her senses.

"We must hold. We can't allow the Skull to fall into their hands." A Dunmer answered, who Jaywren figured was Veren.

"But... no more than a handful of us remain, brother." The Nord replied.

"Then we have no choice. The Miasma must be released." Veren said determinedly.

"The Miasma? But, brother..." 

"We have no alternative. It's the will of Vaermina." Veren cut across the Nord before turning to Jaywren, and whoever she was currently inhabiting. "And what about you, Brother Casimir? Are you prepared to serve the will of Vaermina?"

Casimir? So Jaywren was inhabiting Erandur? What a twist…

Jaywren didn't hear her or Casimir or whatever's response, but she assumed she had agreed to Veren's proposal, as he seemed somewhat pleased.

"Then it's decided." Veren declared. "Brother Casimir, you must activate the barrier and release the Miasma. Let nothing stop you."

Jaywren then watched herself take off running through the temple. She viewed the temple before it was a ruin, when it was still a place of worship and servitude to Vaermina. She longed for this temple to return to what it had once been… But such things seemed impossible now.

Jaywren watched as she weaved in and out of priests, Orcs, and the skirmishes between the two until she ran up to a large pull chain and yanked it down. It was then Jaywren started to wake up.

When she awoke she found herself standing in the exact same place in the modern day, behind the impenetrable barrier that had halted her progress earlier. She quickly swiped the soul gem and deactivated the barrier.

Erandur was waiting for her on the other side. "It... it worked. Mara be praised!" He exclaimed as he stepped through the doorway to her. "You vanished after drinking the Torpor and materialized on the other side. I have never seen anything quite like it." 

"You make it sound like you thought I was going to die or something." Jaywren replied.

"I was going to tell you about the possible dangers of the Torpor, but you had already drunk it all before I could." Erandur replied.

"Well it worked, so let's carry on." Jaywren shrugged, turning to walk deeper into the temple.

"After what you just experienced, you are not amazed? I am at a loss for words." Erandur shook his head.

Jaywren rolled her eyes but said nothing, she had experienced much more amazing things via Vaermina than simply seeing the past through someone else's eyes.

"We should be almost there now. Just around this corner…" Erandur took the lead down a hallway that led the altar that had the Skull of Corruption waiting for them at the end. Erandur stopped suddenly. "Wait…"

From both sides of the room in front of them stepped out a Dunmer and Nord, who Jaywren immediately recognized from Torpor's vision.

"Veren! Thorek! You're alive!" Erandur exclaimed.

"No thanks to you, Casimir." Veren narrowed his eyes.

"I no longer use that name." Erandur replied, his voice shaking somewhat. "I am Erandur, priest of Mara." 

"You're a traitor. You left us to die and then ran before the Miasma took you!" Veren snapped back, causing Erandur to flinch at his words, as Jaywren nodded in agreement behind him.

"No. I... I was scared. I wasn't ready to sleep." Erandur insisted.

"Enough of your lies! I can't allow you to destroy the Skull, Priest of Mara." Veren yelled, taking out his weapon, Thorek following suit.

"Then you leave me no choice!" Erandur took out his mace.

"What a happy reunion." Jaywren muttered as the fighting started. Thorek attacked Erandur and Veren approached to fight Jaywren.

"Vaermina doesn't want this." Jaywren hissed quietly as he swung at her.

"You are not fit to speak her name!" Veren roared.

Ugh. Jaywren couldn't believe what she was hearing. As Veren approached her to swing again she pushed him back with telekinesis before seizing him in a telekinetic grasp and pulling him back towards her. She made sure Erandur was distracted before talking to Veren. "This is my temple. I founded this place. I've served Vaermina my entire life and beyond." Her grip tightened on Veren's throat and the Dunmer started to splutter. "I've had to watch my life's work crumble around me because of that traitor and it's been very hard on me to sit and silence about it, and now you telling me I'm somehow not worthy to speak my lady's name is really the icing on the cake of bullshit I've had to deal with today."

Erandur turned away from the dying Thorek to see Jaywren suspending Veren in midair and strangling him with her telekinesis. "My daughter-!"

"So do me a favour, and die." Jaywren clenched her hand into a fist and crushed Veren's throat completely, letting him drop to the ground to cough and splutter until he expired.

Erandur looked away. "That… That wasn't necessary." He said quietly. 

"Of course it was, they were trying to kill us." Jaywren replied bluntly.

"I knew Veren and Thorek. They were my friends." Erandur stared at the Skull. "Is this punishment for my past?" He wondered aloud. "Is it Mara's will to torment me so..?"

"You can think about that after we deal with the Skull." Jaywren cut across him.

"Yes… You're right." Erandur nodded and walked up to the steps to the barrier protecting the Skull.

"First, an incantation to remove the barrier…" He stood in front of the Skull of Corruption and began to pray. I call upon you, Lady Mara! The Skull hungers. It years for memories and leaves nightmares in its wake. Grant me the power to break through this barrier and to send the Skull to the depths of Oblivion!"

The barrier protecting the Skull disappeared and Jaywren flexed her hands, ready to make the killing blow.

"Now, my little nightmare! Kill him and claim my Skull of Corruption!" Jaywren heard Vaermina purr in her head.

"Oh fucking finally." Jaywren sighed.

Sweat rolled down Erandur's forehead as he focused his magic into destroying the Skull of Corruption. Just a little more…

"What's your worst nightmare, Erandur?"

Erandur jumped at the words and looked back to Jaywren. "Wh-what did you say?" He asked, going pale.

"I'm just curious what Vaermina will do to you after I send you to her…" 

Before Erandur could go anything Jaywren suspended him in midair, and the Skull of Corruption was left unharmed. "I must thank you for getting me this far, Erandur. You've been indispensable in helping me recover my lady's artifact."

"Y-you? But why?!" Erandur yelled.

Jaywren smiled. "I'm disappointed in you, Erandur. For someone who claimed to be an acolyte of Vaermina in this very temple, you don't know who founded it."

Erandur's eyes stared at her horror. "Y-you. You're Jaywren?!"

Jaywren grinned. "The very one. Vaermina knew of your intentions all along and sent me to stop you." She walked over to the Skull of Corruption and ran her hand over the head of the staff fondly before taking it from the altar.

"Don't worry." She turned back to Erandur. "You've earned yourself a quick death. It's what happens afterwards that should terrify you." She twirled the Skull of Corruption around in her hand casually. "What do you think Vaermina does to traitors?"

Erandur's eyes stretched wide in terror. "W-wait!"

But before he could say another word Jaywren broke his neck, and Erandur hung limply in the air before Jaywren dropped him to the ground with a thud. "Your will is fulfilled, my lady." Jaywren stepped down from the altar. 

Black mist and fog suddenly swirled around her and when it dissipated around her Jaywren found herself in Vaermina's realm once more, the Daedra waiting for her with a pleased smile on her face. "Well done, Jaywren." She took the Redguard's chin gently in her hand and kissed Jaywren's cheek. "I can always rely on you, can't I, my little nightmare?"


End file.
